


Together

by RakshaTheDemon



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-17
Updated: 2015-12-17
Packaged: 2018-05-07 06:52:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5447225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RakshaTheDemon/pseuds/RakshaTheDemon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vex hasn't been particularly happy with her brother's affections toward Keyleth. Vax wants to know why.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Together

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to tumblr users arosebyabbie and druidprincesskeyleth for being willing to read this when it was just a half-finished mess.

Vex nocked an arrow, drawing the bowstring to her cheek in the same fluid motion. She sighted her target, released half a breath, and loosed.

The arrow cut through the tiny bit of wood holding the apple to the tree, dropping the fruit into her waiting basket.

Behind her leaves crunched with the steady rhythm of footsteps. She didn't bother to turn around; she'd know that gait anywhere. He came to a stop a few feet behind her. "You know most people just pick apples by hand," he said.

"I really don't care, brother." She drew back another arrow and picked her next target. With another careful breath the bowstring released from her fingertips, sending the arrow flying. The apple landed with a soft thump.

"Suit yourself."

She didn't answer, instead drawing back another arrow. This time she chose an apple near the top of the tree, where it would be slightly more challenging to hit. She aimed carefully, drew the bowstring back to her cheek, and--

"Don't miss!"

Her hand twitched just enough to send the arrow wide, missing the tree entirely. She glared at Vax's stupid, grinning face. "Don't you have someone else you could be bothering?"

"Nope." Gods, he sounded downright chipper.

Vex didn't want to dwell on why that might be. Instead she nocked another arrow and, after a shooting a warning glare to Vax, fired. Two apples dropped from the tree.

Vax applauded. "Excellent shot, sis."

She spun to face him. "Why are you here?"

He opened his mouth, his facing lighting up the way it did when he was about to say something stupid that he thought was witty. Then he froze for a moment, and his expression turned serious. His whole body seemed to deflate. "Are you mad at me?"

"Of course I'm mad. You're being an annoying asshole."

Vax shook his head. "That's not what I mean. Are you angry with me for what happened with Keyleth?"

"I really don't care," she said as nonchalantly as she could.

Vax's eyes flicked down to her hand, which was gripping the bow so hard her knuckles were probably white. "Liar."

"Oh, shut up." She turned back to the tree, taking another shot. She missed, the arrow burying itself deep into the trunk.

"Can we please talk about this?"

She ignored him and fired again. Told herself she'd meant to hit that knot in the trunk.

"Okay, fine," Vax said. "I'll talk, and you can just listen. I love Keyleth, and I'm not going to stop loving her just because my little sister is being a brat."

"We're the same age."

"I'm six minutes older, and you know it."

Vex rolled her eyes even though he couldn't see it.

"Why can't you just be happy for me?"

"Because it's gross?"

"Are you five?"

She stuck her tongue out at him in answer.

He threw up his hands. "Wonderful. Very mature."

"Oh like you'd behave any differently if I were to start kissing on someone."

"Yes, I would. Because I actually want you to be happy."

"The hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you're being stupid and selfish. Keyleth makes me happy. And I'd hoped that my sister, who is my best friend, would want me to be happy."

"Oh, so I'm back to being your best friend, now?"

His brow furrowed. "What the fuck are are you talking about? You've always been my best friend."

"Then why didn't you ever tell me you had feelings for Keyleth?"

"Because I didn't need to? Because you worked it out for yourself ages ago?"

"I had to work it out for myself because you never bothered to talk to me about it."

"Because I knew you'd react like a fucking child!"

She tossed her bow to the ground and turned to Vax, arms crossed. "You want me to be serious about this? Fine, I'll be serious."

"That'll be a welcome change," he scoffed.

"What the hell are you going to do when she finishes her Ara-whatever and goes home? Will you go with her? Settle down in some druid commune or whatever? And then, what, you expect me to leave behind all our friends and just follow you?"

"You know I'd never ask you to do that."

"It doesn't matter if you ask. I'll still have to choose." She stalked over to the apple tree, leaving him to flounder for something to say. There were a few apples scattered across the ground which had missed their mark. She gathered them into the basket.

"You're right," Vax said from behind her, "I haven't thought through all the details. But does it really matter?"

"Details always matter." She picked up the half-full basket, then walked back to retrieve her bow. She started back towards town.

Vax blocked her path. "Fine, they matter. But that doesn't mean we have to get everything figured out right away. It'll probably be ages before Keyleth decides to leave. And besides..."

The way he trailed off made the hairs on the back of Vex's neck stand up. "Besides what?" she asked, glaring at him through narrowed eyes.

"I'm just not sure it's worth worrying too much about the future, given how dangerous our life is and how close we've each come to--"

Vex cut him off with a hard kick to the shin.

"Ow! What are those boots made of, solid iron?!"

"Don't you dare fucking talk like that. Don't even think like that."

"I'm just being realistic."

"Oh no. No no no no. That is not realistic because we are not going to--" the word caught on the lump forming in her throat. It stuck there, refusing to be spoken. "That can't happen. Okay? It cannot happen."

"Well it's not exactly my first choice either."

“Then stop charging headfirst into every bit of danger you find! Stop forcing me to chase after you, praying that I won’t be too late. Do you have any idea what that’s like for me? How terrifying it is to constantly find you just inches from death?”

“Are you fucking kidding me? Back in that temple I watched you plummet like a stone. I watched as healing magic did nothing to save you. I carried your limp body, knowing that at any moment your heart could stop beating, and that there was nothing I could do to save you.”

“Yeah, and then you dumped me on Grog left again because or Keyleth.”

“Are you actually going to be angry with me for not leaving one of our friends behind in that fucked-up place?”

“She would’ve been fine.”

“With no magic, in an evil temple, facing whatever the hell the Briarwoods set up in there? She was in danger, and you know it.”

“I was in danger.”

“Grog was protecting you.”

“I didn’t want Grog, I wanted my brother.”

Vax threw up his hands. “Do you have any idea how selfish that sounds?”

“I am selfish! I have to be selfish, because otherwise I’ll lose everything. No matter how far we come, we’re always just one roll of the dice from being sent back to the start; you and me on our own. It’s happened before. The Briarwoods tried to make it happen again. Anything we have could be taken at any moment. The only constant I’ve ever relied on is you. And now I’m not even sure I have that.”

Silence hung between them. Vex shifted her weight from one foot to the other, unsure what to do now that she’d abruptly reached the end of her piece. Vax watched her, his expression caught somewhere between anger and sympathy.

The seconds ticked by. Vex fought the urge to just walk away. She could head deeper into the woods and take a wider path back to Whitestone. After that it wouldn’t be too difficult to avoid Vax until this blew over.

But she needed to see this through, for better or worse. So she stayed, one hand gripped around her bow, the other clutching the wicker basket, and waited.

“Vex’ahlia,” he said at last, “I love you, but you’re an idiot if you think for one second that I will not always, always, have your back.A relationship with Keyleth wouldn’t change that.”

“And what about if you die trying to save her from something horrible?”

“Then you’ll have to bring me back the way we brought back Pike. And if that doesn’t work I’ll just turn into a ghost and haunt you for the rest of your life.” He grinned, and Vex couldn’t help but smile back.

“Promise?”

Vax nodded. “I do. And then every time you lose something, you’ll know it was me stealing it from you. When you wake up in the morning to see Trinket shaved bald, you’ll know I was there. When you try to take out a gold piece but find that everything in your purse has been glued together, you’ll know that I’m with you. When--”

“On second thought, Keyleth can have you.”

They laughed. Vax offered to take the basket and Vex agreed, handing it to him.

“Do you think Pike could teach me any spells that repel ghosts?” she teased. Vax responded with a playful jab to her shoulder.

They headed back to Whitestone and the rest of Vox Machina.

Together.


End file.
